Journaling in the CSJ

My friend Connie gave me a collaged journal that I call CSJ and I have challenged myself to fill it up. The beginning of this project is on this post.

I have been trying to match the beautiful collaged pages of this journal with the content that I add, so it looks like one person did the whole page.

On this one I ran the lines of the printed flowers on the right to the blank space on the left. I glued in a few pieces of painted paper and then used a micron pen and some Tombo pens to add color.

This is a two page spread that only had two white columns in the center. I continued the horizontal pattern of the receipt on the left that Connie had, both in the list of “Some Notes” and through to the second page. In the center I made colorful squares to tie in the rectangles on the upper left to the stamp on the right, and to add to the vertical rhythm made with the papers she put in.

This page was using the Tombo pen and General’s Sketch and Wash. Both of these are water soluble, so you can smoodge around the color. Don’t overdo on the graphite, it will turn to mud. You can add touches of white on a page like this to boost the contrast. For the I might use a Sharpie Oil Paint marker.

This page is a I drew a tomato behind an apple then some of the faces from the photo on the right. I decided to indicate a face and paint then entire thing red and pink because I just felt like it. That is the good new about journals, we can do what we like.

The last spread I did this week was this one. I added the botanical paper and the journaling, that is it. The car indicated a journey that this gal was on. She had 5 kids along the way.

This last spread I added only the sprig of leaves and the red background. I may journal over the top, but I do like that shocking field of red for now.

I am halfway through my Connie Sanders Journal and am not in a hurry to finish it, but am committed to doing at least three spreads a week until the beginning of the year. I also work in my blank page journals, never one journal at a time. There is no good reason for this, just the way I roll.

Would love to hear what you think!

One Comment

Kristy BrennerDecember 8, 2013

I like the way you roll! And I love this journal, which you showed our group at your DU workshop in September. It’s looking really luscious.